There exist a wide variety of tabletop action games which simulate sports such as hockey, soccer and the like. In games of this type, a player attempts to score points by shooting a puck or ball into an opponent's goal while at the same time defending his own goal. U.S. Pat. No. 3,785,648 shows a tabletop hockey game wherein each player controls a number of player pieces which operate to either drive a puck across a simulated playing surface or to defend a goal. A similar game is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,622 wherein players manipulate miniature hockey sticks on a playing surface which simulates a miniature hockey rink. U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,556 also shows a similar game wherein miniature sticks and rinks are used. U.S. Pat. No. 4,261,568 discloses a soccer-like game wherein players are provided with hand-held propelling devices for driving a disk across a playing surface. U.S. Pat. No. 4,166,620 discloses a game simulative of hockey wherein players flick a disk with their fingers in an attempt to score goals.
One general shortcoming of prior art games of this type is that they are essentially two-dimensional in play; that is, prior art games have not provided players with the ability to loft the projectile above the playing surface. In reality, much of the play near the goals in hockey and soccer involves maneuvering a puck or ball above the playing surface to evade the goal tender's actions.
Another problem with prior art tabletop action games is that they frequently involve extensive and complicated mechanisms for moving the player pieces or otherwise controlling shooting. Such mechanisms tend to slow up the game and to make the equipment cumbersome and costly. The present invention recognizes that the appeal of tabletop action games would be greatly enhanced if players had the ability to lift the ball or puck from the playing surface and to accurately and rapidly shoot it toward the goal in a manner which could evade the goal tender. The present invention also recognizes the need to simplify prior art game systems to thereby increase their speed and decrease their costs. As will be apparent from the drawings, discussion and description which follow, the present invention provides an improved tabletop action game of the hockey or soccer type. These and other advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the drawings, discussion and description which follow.